For the third week in a row there are multiple major releases in the YA SF & F section, led by Railsea, a foray into a younger age category by the always brilliant China Mieville (Perdido Street Station, Embassytown, etc.). Narrated byJonathan Cowley for Random House Audio, the audiobook comes in at just under 10 hours, and it also comes with heaps of praise for its ability to both engage younger audiences at a narrative level, with a world of trains and giant mole hunts, as well as offer a deeper reading with its references to Moby Dick and Mievillian critiques of power. It’s already bought, so it’s likely up next for me:

In adult sf/f and released Monday was another long-anticipated audiobook, Osama (2011) ByLavie Tidhar, which is narrated byJeff Harding for Audible Ltd [Audible UK link here]:

“In a world without global terrorism Joe, a private detective, is hired by a mysterious woman to find a man: the obscure author of pulp fiction novels featuring one Osama Bin Laden: Vigilante…Joe’s quest to find the man takes him across the world, from the backwaters of Asia to the European Capitals of Paris and London, and as the mystery deepens around him there is one question he is trying hard not to ask: who is he, really, and how much of the books is fiction? Chased by unknown assailants, Joe’s identity slowly fragments as he discovers the shadowy world of the refugees, ghostly entities haunting the world in which he lives. Where do they come from? And what do they want? Joe knows how the story should end, but even he is not ready for the truths he’ll find in New York and, finally, on top a quiet hill above Kabul—nor for the choice he will at last have to make….”

Napier’s BonesByDerryl Murphy, Narrated byPeter Ganim for Audible, inc. — Length:8 hrs and 33 mins — originally published by CZP in print — “What if, in a world where mathematics could be magic, the thing you desired most was also trying to kill you? Dom is a numerate, someone able to see and control numbers and use them as a form of magic. While seeking a mathematical item of immense power that has only been whispered about, it all goes south for Dom, and he finds himself on the run across three countries on two continents, with two unlikely companions in tow and a numerate of unfathomable strength hot on his tail.”

The ComingByJoe Haldeman (2000), Narrated byKevin Orton for Recorded Books (2008) — Length:7 hrs and 11 mins — ”After receiving a message from deep space, astronomer Aurora “Rory” Bell anticipates extraterrestrial visitors on New Year’s Eve. But with Earth teetering on the edge of another world war, Rory soon begins to wonder if the message was a hoax. And when the message is leaked to the public, a media frenzy ensues.”

Fiction: The Chemistry of Tearsby Peter Carey — ” Literary novel with SF elements about a museum conservator’s attempt to restore a 19th century automaton discovered by her late lover.” per the Locus Monitor

2312by Kim Stanley Robinson(Orbit, May 22, 2012) — “The year is 2312. Scientific and technological advances have opened gateways to an extraordinary future. Earth is no longer humanity’s only home; new habitats have been created throughout the solar system on moons, planets, and in between. But in this year, 2312, a sequence of events will force humanity to confront its past, its present, and its future.”

The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci (Roaring Brook Press, May 22) — “is about grief and how it cuts us off from the ones we love. This is a hybrid novel interwoven with alternating chapters of prose and comics.” — doesn’t seem a good fit for audio, but an interesting looking book

Closed Horizon by Peter Lantos (Arcadia Books, May 28) — “ In this debut novel, set in 2032, Mark Chadwick is a brilliant psychiatrist who is on the verge of a major scientific breakthrough. By combining functional imaging of the brain with computer technology, he can not only predict intentions but also decode human thought processes. His discovery attracts the attention of Robert Dufresne, a senior officer in Home Security who is determined to use this novel technique in the fight against the enemies of the Surveillance State.”

Anthology: Going Interstellar edited by Les Johnson and Jack McDevitt (Baen) — “Essays by space scientists and engineers teamed with a collection of tales by an all-star assortment of award winning authors all taking on new methods of star travel.”

The Alchemist of Souls: Night’s Masque, Volume 1 by Anne Lyle (out in print March 27 from Angry Robot, coming to audio June 1 from Brilliance Audio)

WORLDBINDER by David Farland, read by Ray Porter for Blackstone Audio (1 June) — Blackstone has been producing Farland’s Runelords series and here adds book six, with book nine (A Tale of Tales) due in September of this year